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It never hurts to get a different perspective or opinion on things, especially from the opposition. From now until the end of the season, I'll get with an opposing beat writer to pick their brains about Louisiana Tech's competition.

To kick off the year, I asked Guerin Emig, who is Oklahoma's beat writer for the Tulsa World, five questions about the Sooners leading up to Saturday's 6 p.m. kickoff.

1. I think the biggest question most La. Tech fans have is what Oklahoma team shows up Saturday. The one that ran through Alabama or the team from earlier in 2013. What's your take?

The Sooners can't possibly be as sharp as they were in the Sugar Bowl, but they'll be crisper than they were in the 2013 opener against ULM. Or they should be. Trevor Knight was a mess throwing the ball that night in his college debut. He finally settled into the position late last season, and it all came together for him against Alabama.

I get the feeling he'll continue to play well Saturday, but there are too many questions at running back and wide receiver for the offense to really hum. That might not happen for several weeks. The defense isn't replacing as many key weapons, and so it should be closer to peak efficiency.

2. What type of growth are Oklahoma coaches expecting from Trevor Knight in his first year as a true starter?

Now that Blake Bell has moved to tight end, the expectation is Knight will make a quantum leap in terms of both comfort at the position and leadership of his offense. He had the tools to excel a year ago, but he was too scattershot to take advantage of them.

Now that he has beaten Alabama and won big games, and with Bell no longer breathing down his neck, he should settle in. He needs to do so with so many new running backs and receivers surrounding him. He also needs to stay healthy, with two freshmen behind him.

3. Knight lost most of his weapons in the backfield and outside with his receivers, who are some names to watch that are expected to have an impact on offense Saturday?

The leading candidates at running back are Keith Ford and Alex Ross. Both are talented -- Ross was a star at Tulsa-area high school powerhouse Jenks -- but neither is anywhere near seasoned enough to be reliable out of the chute. If neither takes charge, the Sooners could try freshman Samaje Perine.

Durron Neal is expected to emerge to complement Sterling Shepard at wide receiver. Beyond that OU could try any number of young, promising freshmen. The Sooners were hoping we'd be talking about Joe Mixon and Dorial Green-Beckham in this space, but that didn't quite work out as planned.

4. La. Tech has had to re-shuffle its offensive line for the second year in a row. How has Oklahoma's defensive line looked through fall camp and how much can that group impact the game?

If OU's front seven plays as hard and as well as it did in the Sugar Bowl, it's going to be a long night for La Tech's line. That will be the case for any O-line, especially now that defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has recovered from the back surgery that shortened his 2013 season. He is OU's best interior defender, and a sturdy complement to edge rushers Eric Striker, Charles Tapper and Geneo Grissom.

Defensive coaches keep talking about how comfortable the Sooners have become in the 3-4, now that it's the second year of that alignment. If that's true, it's an ominous sign for a rebuilt O-line.

5. It's obvious Kenneth Dixon is La. Tech's best offensive weapon. What are some of the coaches saying about Dixon and what is your take on him?

Dixon has Bob Stoops' attention. "Really a great player," Stoops said earlier this week. "Their running back is nifty guy, powerful and strong. He's about 215 pounds. He can make people miss him and run through arm tackles."

I think Dixon has the potential to inflict some harm Saturday, but he'll need Sokol to complete some passes to take the load off. It's hard to know if that's going to happen.

Prediction: I picked OU to win 41-6. I think the offense looks a little sluggish with the turnover in the backfield and out wide. But the defense will control the game long enough for Knight and Ford/Ross to get going eventually.